Superintendent

Schools of Innovation, Inquiry, and Impact

Phenix City Schools is in proud pursuit of a world-class education for every student in every school. The system’s goal is to prepare all students for a career and/or college through inquiry based pedagogy, innovative resources, and a learning environment that will have immediate and future societal impact. Phenix City Schools (PCS) offers a complete, one-of-a-kind education for all students, preschool through 12th grade. It is our desire that you find your home in Phenix City Schools and become a Red Devil for life.

At the high school level, Phenix City Schools’ distinct blend of honors courses, career technical education, and fine arts electives have been developed to give students an abundance of options that will enable them to achieve their lifelong goals. Many high school classes are offered online and may be taken in a traditional classroom or in an alternative setting. Students in grades 10-12 may select from eight dual enrollment courses, whereas the student receives both high school and college credits. Many choosing this path have graduated high school and immediately entered post-secondary education as college sophomores. Additionally, students may select from many career technical and fine arts offerings, such as culinary arts, welding, masonry, cosmetology, drama, and visual arts.

The system’s middle school revitalization project, dubbed the i3 Project (inquiry, innovation, and impact), is quickly changing the scholastic landscape of grades 6-8. Beginning in the fall of 2015, each student received a set of electronic books and a take-home iPad Air. Of particular mention is the change from direct mathematical instruction to the Carnegie Learning curriculum. Carnegie Learning is a scientific research based curriculum that was developed by researchers at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University. Additionally, students in grade 6 may be invited to join The Accelerated (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Academy, which will afford students an accelerated course path in mathematics, science, and language arts (i.e. In grade 6, students will master all of the aforementioned course standards for grade 6 and half of the standards for grade 7). In the fall of 2016, six state-of-the-art STEM laboratories opened on the middle school campuses.

Each of Phenix City Schools’ seven neighborhood elementary schools is uniquely designed to maximize student learning and has a world class SMART Lab. Computer science, art, and music are supplementary features of these schools. To develop higher-order thinking skills and understanding of mathematics conceptual framework, a new exploratory mathematics program, Investigations, will be implemented. The system’s two science magnet schools, Lakewood Primary and Lakewood Elementary schools, facilitate an in-depth study of life and physical sciences which are complemented by on-site nurseries and wilderness trails.

PCS’s Early Learning Centers - Westview and Creekside - contain ten First Class preschool classes. First Class provides effective, high quality early childhood experiences that prepare Alabama's children for school success and lifelong learning. The National Institute for Early Education Research ranks Alabama’s First Class #1 in the nation for the quality of its state-funded preschool program. Additionally, the system contains two Title I preschool classes and one special needs preschool class.

Phenix City Schools is convinced that the most direct way to improve a community’s quality of life is through its educational systems. Please join us as we work side-by-side with community leaders and educational partners to move Phenix City Forward.